Writing about Literature: What students should know before handing in English assignments

I've often found that students aren't taught how to write about literary texts. They attend a Literature course either in school or university, but their work is devoid of that little extra something that would make it commendable. 

The reason for this is because either they haven't been told what work of this nature requires or because they haven't paid close attention to what their teachers or professors have expressly stated they base marks on. 

Whatever the case may be, the following pointers should prove useful. If you're a student, make a checklist of the notes hereinafter and check them off when you reread your finished assignment. If you're a teacher, you can make a handout and go over the points in class at the beginning of the academic year. 

Knowing what is expected of you will make your writing more to the point, show your knowledge of
what has been covered in class and get you better grades by the end of the term.
 

Writing Papers for Literature 


Organization

• You need to choose a thesis statement that will give direction to your essay and that will be supported by examples, arguments and explanations in your main paragraphs. A good thesis proposes something that has to be proven and that will arouse the reader's curiosity. If the topic is specific (because it has been assigned), avoid such originality, of course.
• for example:  
• Poe's and Gilman's stories have many things in common.
• Poe's and Gilman's stories have common elements that can be narrowed down to three main categories: atmosphere, point of view and symbolism.

  Obviously, the second thesis is much clearer and prepares the reader by telling them what three "things" will be discussed in the paper. 

Your thesis should 
a) act as a map for your reader and 
b) is the result of careful research, brainstorming and planning 

So, to recap, thesis statements should:

a) be potentially interesting (and ought to get reactions like"Really?" or "Prove it!" unless, as stated earlier, the question has been assigned and you have little to no room for creative experimentation)

b) be as specific as possible  

c) make your topic manageable by cutting it up into parts you can handle separately

• Use clear connectors or other linking devices to mark or map your way through your paper. These can be 

a) single words (such as 'and', 'therefore', 'notwithstanding') 

b) phrases ('in contrast to this', 'a case in point is') 

c) grammar words such as pronouns, possessive adjectives, 'such', 'so', 'the former', 'the latter' and other similar words to refer back to something stated in order to create cohesion

•  Write a topic sentence at the beginning of every single paragraph and make sure that the idea it states is clear and constitutes the driving force behind every sentence written within that paragraph. Such sentences guide you through your paragraph and give it purpose. Additionally, topic sentences warn readers, letting them know what it is you want to discuss before they beginning reading about it, which is why they are a vital part of every paragraph.

Topic sentences have 2 parts to them: a topic and a focus

• for example
• T.S.Eliot examined the futility of modern existence.
• The incapability of individuals to communicate is something Modernism clearly demonstrated. 

In the first example, the topic is Eliot and the focus is his examination of the futility of modern existence. In the second, the topic is Modernism and the focus is the incapability of individuals to communicate.
It is not impossible to reverse these and state that the topic is the futility of modern existence in the first sentence and the incapability of individuals to communicate in the second; T.S. Eliot and Modernism would then become the focus of each respective sentence.

Check all the sentences of a paragraph to see if they are related to your topic and answer the focus of your topic sentence. If they don't contribute to explaining the focus, then those sentences are beside the point and should be left out of that paragraph.

So much for organization. Now let's move on to our next area -- what information we put inside our paper.


Content

• An ideal paper is one where the student has discovered something new and wants to share this discovery with the reader. This discovery may be a new interpretation of a story, poem, play or novel as a whole or of a single item/issue within that story, poem, play or novel. 

• Don't avoid stating the obvious, just don't spend too much time on it. Students often mistakenly think the reader is following their train of thought. Well, they're not. They're not seers or mind-readers, so you need to gradually develop your argumentation. This often requires mentioning the starting point from which your argument takes form, something which may well mean you will have to mention something readers will already be aware of. Don't take anything for granted, though. By starting a sentence with "Clearly ..." or "It is obvious that ..." you can quickly mention what needs to be said in order to make your argument valid, then move on to your main point.

• Use terms studied in class. These might have been handed out as a list or glossary at the beginning of the course or might have been highlighted during a specific lesson. Teachers look favorably on assignments that incorporate the knowledge learnt in class, so take good notes if lists of literary terms haven't been provided, or use what your instructors have handed out. You may also use the lists available on this blog (find them here and here). A word of warning, however. Never use terms if they don't suit the purpose. It is more than obvious when students try to fill a paper up with something.

• Be careful not to use informal language. Colloquialisms (words used in everyday speech but not acceptable in writing because of register) are inappropriate in academic essays. 'Kids' instead of 'children', 'adolescents', 'students' or whatever specific term the context demands is less formal and lowers the quality of any paper. Contractions ('can't' instead of 'cannot', 'won't' instead of 'will not') are also informal. Finally avoid the use of 'I' in your essays. Keep yourself out of the picture. Instead, put your ideas in it. The proper style is to write direct sentences or use passive voice if you must. Look at the following cases:
• this is the "bad" example to avoid at all costs: "I believe that Hamlet doubts the ghost he sees at the beginning of the play."
• direct approach:"Hamlet doubts the ghost he sees at the beginning of the play."
• passive voice: "It is believed that Hamlet ..." 

• Avoid summarizing a story just for the sake of it. Plot summary is required but should be limited to those instances when you need to mention what happened in a story, poem or play in order to prove a specific point, not to remind the reader of the plot. Never state purely neutral summary sentences. 
• bad plot summary: 

Hamlet goes to see his mother in her bedroom and grows more and more angry as he talks to her. Finally, the appearance of his father's ghost calms him.

• okay, so what you've managed to do here is state what anyone can read in black and white. You haven't tied it up to any argument of yours.

  

• better use of plot summary:  

When Hamlet talks to his mother in her bed chamber, his words towards her grow more and more angry and uncontrolled. Ironically, it is the appearance of his father's ghost -- which Gertrude interprets as his madness -- that restores him to his senses.

• in this instance, the reason the plot is mentioned is to point out an ironic situation, not to simply paraphrase the story.

• Don't keep saying "I think" or "In my opinion". If you write it, you think it. Mention only ideas that have been borrowed from a source by quoting that source. Quoting, however, has certain rules and you have to learn these. Also, never slap a quotation onto your essay and expect your reader to know why you put it there. All quotations must be part of an argument and must be introduced appropriately.
• "bad" example:

According to F.R. Leavis, characterization is of primal importance in a short story.

• better use of quotation:   

"A short story cannot function without the complexity added by characterization," states F.R. Leavis and is in complete accord with what occurs in Joyce's "The Dead".

If more than one sentence is used from a source (in other words, if the quote is long) then you have to drop to the next line, indent it on both left and right margins of the page and place it justified in your text.  To continue your paragraph, drop to the next line and start writing normally from the left-hand margin.

• Never forget to tie up what you are saying to the question asked. Some students become so involved with a specific argument, going into great detail without drawing the obvious conclusion about what it is that they have said. This makes their argument seem irrelevant even though it is not. By writing a concluding sentence in your main body paragraphs is sufficient to remind the reader what the point of that paragraph is about.

• Likewise, answer the question only. Anything that is not directly related to your question should not be in your essay. This is known as succinctness and is especially valued by markers. Your concluding paragraph at the end of your entire essay must be well-developed so as to give the reader the impression that what has come before was there for a reason. There is little value in writing the perfect argumentative paragraphs and then not tying them up in one grand finale, that moment when everything comes together and your reader is convinced that what you have said is plausible and has answered the question. 

• It goes without saying that you should check for spelling and grammar mistakes before handing in your paper. 

• Remember to read over your essay, but not just before handing it in. The best tactic is to leave it aside for 2-3 days, then pick it up with fresh eyes, or have someone else read it and comment on it, then see what needs to be amended.

• The tense you should use when talking about a work is the present. Biographical facts or publishing information requires past tenses. 
• for example: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet at a time when ... In this play he discusses the themes of ...

• Plagiarism is a serious academic crime which is not tolerated and can result in failure or even getting expelled. Markers want to see your work, not someone else's passed off as your work. Using experts' ideas to back up your arguments is academically recommended, but the final product must come from you. Anything less than this shows laziness on your part and disrespect to markers. 

Remember: You are trying to SELL an idea and yourselves (in a manner of speaking) in the essays you write, so make a good, organized effort.